The science behind the viral tinfoil frizz trick on TikTok
A video has suggested a simple solution to static hair that does not require sprays or straighteners It is a small downside of hot, dry weather: static hair that sticks up in a Worzel Gummidge-style halo. Now a viral TikTok video has suggested a simple solution for static frizz that does not require sprays or […]
Cats appear to grieve death of fellow pets – even dogs, study finds
US researchers say findings challenge view that cats are antisocial and suggest bereavement may be universal Cats are often considered aloof, independent and fickle in their affections. But, research suggests, they also show signs of grieving after the death of another pet in the same household – even when it is the family dog. Some […]
The end-of-life patients finding solace in magic mushrooms: ‘What life after life could be like’
Some with terminal cancer have said psilocybin helped them confront death. But how that happens is still unclear Any person with stage four colon cancer deals with anxiety, but for the first few years after his diagnosis in 2016, Thomas Hartle considered himself to be managing pretty well. In part, this was because his Pet […]
Is the dream of nuclear fusion dead? Why the international experimental reactor is in ‘big trouble’
The 35-nation Iter project has a groundbreaking aim to create clean and limitless energy but it is turning into the ‘most delayed and cost-inflated science project in history’ It was a project that promised the sun. Researchers would use the world’s most advanced technology to design a machine that could generate atomic fusion, the process […]
Can you solve it? Are you smarter than an English major?
Acquaint yourself with matters mathematical With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, but I meant the other type of English major: a person who studied English at university. American maths author Ben Orlin has a new book out aimed at this demographic. (More on this below.) the sum of all squares from 1 to 499 the […]
Starwatch: Perseids to peak in dazzling shower mid-month
Up to 100 meteors an hour will appear to emanate in all directions from their radiant point in Perseus constellation It is the big one for meteor watchers. The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak of activity on the night of 12 August going into the early hours of 13 August. The chart […]
‘Not stranded in space’: how Nasa lost control of Boeing Starliner narrative
Technical issues and poor comms led many to believe two astronauts are lost in space, but a return date is imminent It should have been a welcome public relations triumph for Boeing, an opportunity to show that even if panels were falling from its aircraft, it could still fly humans into space and return them […]
Fifth of medicines in Africa may be sub-par or fake, research finds
Analysis suggests extent of problem UN estimates is causing 500,000 deaths a year in sub-Saharan region A fifth of medicines in Africa could be substandard or fake, according to a major research project, raising the alarm over a problem that could be contributing to the deaths of countless patients. Researchers from Bahir Dar University in […]
Astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol: ‘I believe Mars still has some big surprises for us’
The director of the Carl Sagan Center on the possibility of life elsewhere in our solar system, what Venus can teach us about global heating, and what she thinks of Elon Musk The astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol was born in 1963 and raised near Paris. She completed a PhD at the Sorbonne on the evolution of […]
‘Free money’: £4bn lost to fraud and error on flagship HMRC ‘innovation’ scheme
UK tax credits to promote research and development were claimed by a pub for changing its menus and by window cleaners for hanging their buckets A government scheme to champion new research and boost the economy has cost more than £4bn in fraud and error since 2020 after widespread abuse. The research and development tax […]